Introduction

EKWB is a PC water-cooling juggernaut that started as just one man's simple idea. From that humble beginning, they have quickly become a dominant force in the enthusiast community with high-quality components for just about any custom water-cooling loop. The company's numerous awards show their continued attention to detail and exceptional quality. Other than a few hiccups along the way, EKWB has been wildly successful, and after their recent foray into all-in-one liquid coolers, they are now ready to take things to the next level.


In today's review, I put the EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB to the test, pitting it against numerous high-end cooling solutions to see just how well it performs. Like its predecessor, this design does not come from Asetek or Coolit and is instead a custom in-house solution. The pump inside the CPU block is based on the company's SPC series and has seen an upgrade for this release. While the radiator is aluminium rather than copper, it has a lot more heft to it than I expected for even a 360 mm offering. Add in the six EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB fans and you have a killer solution, at least when glancing at its spec sheet. So without further ado, let's take a closer look at what EKWB's latest AIO is capable of.

Packaging

EK sticks with the white box for their AIO Elite 360 D-RGB they used on the original AIO D-RGB series. That means you are greeted with a clean and bright box that lets the image of the liquid cooler on the front stand out in all its RGB glory. Moving to the left side, you will find the cooler's various features listed, such as its maintenance-free design, silent operation (we will test that for sure), top-class performance, etc. Another quick flip and we take a look at the back, which shows off the AIO's powerful pump, EK-Vardar S 120 ER D-RGB fans, and high-quality aluminium radiator. Mechanical drawings detailing the various dimensions are also included, with EK noting the total thickness of the radiator and push/pull fan setup at 105.000 mm.


The right side is mostly plain except for the orange stripe, while the top has the unit's general specifications for the pump and fan RPM, airflow, etc. Meanwhile, the bottom just has "Boost Your PC. In Style!" in bold lettering.

Contents

Oh yeah, EK used foam—what can I say? I love nice packaging! With that out of the way, the cooler is completely encased in foam on all sides, with everything neatly tucked away and secured, which is always nice to see.


The cooler supports the sockets you would expect, including Intel's mainstream and HEDT systems, along with AMD's AM4 platform. Everything you need is included, and looking at the mounting hardware itself, it's all pretty standard and straightforward stuff. The only issue here is likely going to be the mass of wiring from six ARGB fans. I imagine that will be the most difficult aspect to deal with in regards to getting the side panel closed.

Common parts supplied for mounting include:

• 12x Phillips head screw UNC 6-32 x 30 mm (5 mm thread length)
• 12x Phillips head screw UNC 6-32 x 6 mm
• 12x Phillips head screw UNC 6-32 x 34 mm
• 6x EK-Vardar S 120 D-RGB fans
• 4x Thumb nut (Intel /AMD)
• 4x Mounting thumb screw for INTEL LGA 115x / AMD AM4 socket
• 4x Mounting thumb screw for Intel LGA 20XX socket
• 4x Spring
• 4x Mounting plate Phillips head M4x4 mm (for the installation of mounting brackets)
• 2x Intel mounting bracket
• 2x AMD mounting bracket
• 1x Intel LGA 115x backplate
• 1x Liquid cooler
• 1x EK-Hub PWM + D-RGB
• 1x Thermal paste tube
• 1x User manual